Song Zhong had been at the martial arena for five days now. At last, he saw a disciple who, like him, had only recently joined the Hundred Peaks Sect.
Du Chengyi.
He remembered that face because Du Chengyi possessed a Body of Aptitude.
"Song Zhong, do you dare get on the stage and fight me?"
Du Chengyi walked straight up to Song Zhong and provoked him. "You exploited a loophole during the assessment and took first place. Now it's time for you to give up that top spot."
Song Zhong immediately found this amusing. At last, a new disciple had stepped forward.
In the martial arena, only a minority came to fight; most were there to watch others compete.
Hearing that two newcomers were about to take the stage, everyone perked up and turned to look.
Facing everyone's gazes, Song Zhong shook his head. "Fight you? Why should I fight you? Just because you say so?"
They would fight, of course—but not like this. There was no point to it.
"Are you afraid?" Du Chengyi could not understand it at all. Hadn't Song Zhong come to the martial arena to find someone to fight on the stage?
And now that he was here, Song Zhong refused to fight?
Around them, quite a few older disciples began egging them on. They watched old hands fight every day—how could that be as interesting as watching newcomers?
"Kid, what are you chickening out for? Get up there and fight him."
"Exactly. Since you've come to the arena, how can you not fight?"
"Come on, fight already."
Song Zhong looked at Du Chengyi with utter disdain. "I'll say it again: what do I gain from fighting you?
"You said it yourself—I'm first place. If you beat me, you become famous. If I beat you,